Lighter explodes in pocket of ex-township speaker in Yilan County

Taipei, Sept. 10 (CNA) A disposable cigarette lighter exploded in the pocket of former Luodong Township Council Speaker Ho Chien-tung (何建東) in Yilan County while he was riding a scooter, prompting the county's Fire Bureau to issue a safety warning Wednesday.

The bureau explained that lighters contain butane, a high-pressure flammable liquefied gas that expands in high-temperature conditions, and that weakened plastic casing can rupture under pressure.

It advised people to buy certified products and avoid placing lighters in high-temperature environments.

Ho said the explosion happened Tuesday morning after he had been riding his scooter for more than 10 minutes.

In a light-hearted Facebook post, he wrote that the lighter exploded in his pocket while he was stopped at a red light.

"Can you believe it?" he wrote.

"Maybe there wasn't much lighter fluid left, otherwise it could have hurt my 'little brother'," the former township speaker said, euphemistically referring to his penis.

After the post went viral, some left comments suggesting that the incident was a sign that Ho should quit smoking, while others said that what happened was "very scary."